BOP !

Be-Bop was a type of music that was a rhythmic and melodic extension of Jazz music developed in the early 1940's. Most bop music however was not very danceable (a Musical Jazz Improv if you will) with the traditional type dances, however some Bop songs were very danceable as well. Bop was a popular form of Swing dancing during the 1950's as well as done as a solo dance (especially when the melody divorced itself from traditional dance rhythms). It's style was slightly different than its predecessor Jitterbug. The term Bop was also used as slang for a type of careless movement, such as "Bop on over." The Bop lead the way for Beatniks, Cappuchinos etc.

The dance style was a form of Jitterbug, or more recently East Coast Swing. Bop was mainly 8 counts with a hip-twisting, body swaying, double rhythm style. The basic
step is done in open position, Follower mainly staying in front of the Leader: Originally: "Tap-Step---Walk-Walk---Tap-Step---Walk-Walk (or Rock-Step)" - swaying from his left to right. Today a basic East Coast Triple rhythm is all that's needed to change the dance but old style Bop Swing is really no longer done, but that doesn't mean it can't come back.

The Solo Bop was was done a few different ways, Brenda on the right shows the inplace version and the clip on the left
shows the group version. There is also Bop Clubs (Beach Bop Swing) in the Southern & Midwest states such as Florida, Virginia, Atlanta, Chicago, etc. that call themselves Bop dancers plus doing other forms of swing dance as well. However I don't have much historical info. on them at the moment. Rock-a-Billy also has its own "Boppin' " as well.

A few clips can be seen in the television infomercial advertisement for 1950's music that shows clips of swing dancing of the 1950's, it has a few clips of the Bop being done. Today, younger West Coast Swing dancers call this generic Bop movement "Funky Swing," adding it into the West Coast Swing at any given time when they dance to modern Funk/ Disco/ Techno/ Rap or Motown type swing danceable music, however it is rare.